The automobile industry has recognized for decades that vehicle emissions are harmful to the public health and the environment. It is also well-known that conventional methods of reducing vehicle emissions are inefficient. Typically, vehicle emissions may be reduced by increasing engine efficiency and/or cleansing the exhaust after combustion. For example, vehicle exhaust may be cleansed using secondary air injection, exhaust gas recirculation, and/or catalytic conversion.
Typically, a catalytic converter includes metallic catalyst(s) (e.g., platinum, palladium, rhodium) for converting toxic emissions into non-toxic substances. The toxic emissions converted may include carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and unburned hydrocarbons. For example, the carbon monoxide may be oxidized and converted to carbon dioxide, where the catalyst stimulates the oxidation.
The use of a catalytic converter fails to resolve all the challenges related to reducing vehicle emissions. For example, catalytic converters fail to reduce the amount of hydrocarbon fuel being combusted. Further, catalytic converters produce carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have an improved process for reducing vehicle emissions. Preferably, it would be desirable to have a process that converts emissions into usable fuel. Further, it would be desirable to have a process that also reduces the amount of carbon dioxide being emitted.